Game apparatus



H. B. STONER ET AL GAME APPARATUS 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 25, 1935 W 5 n r w M 6 wA 5 m k 1 9. F I r a1 H 1 r a @MZL Dec. 21, 1937.

Dec. 21, 1937..

H. B. STONER ET AL GAME APPARATUS Filed Jan. 25, 1935 s Sheets-She et 2 M 4.1 M w 6 n F. q A 3 T v 171/577 0/5 ffarrg B. (52022 er Dec. 21, 1937; H. B. STONER ET AL GAME APPARATUS Filed Jan. 25,1935 3 Sheets S'neet 3 Tag .ZYVEH U13 Harzy B. Grower ffar/ fl'm'c/rerfiocfier Patented Dec. 21, 1937 UNITED STATES z tzste PATENT OFFICE GAME APPARATUS Application January 25, 1935, Serial No. 3,394

6 Claims.

, The present invention relates to game apparatus, and is more particularly concerned with coin-controlled amusement devices of the surface projectile type, wherein a projectile, such 5 as a ball, is shot or projected over a playing surface or board containing a plurality of indicia bearing openings adapted to receive the projectile, the openings being guarded by upstanding pins or other means.

Although games of this general type have long been known and are old in the art, the present invention, however, seeks to improve the prior art devices by the provision of automatic means whereby one or more tokens will be issued depending upon. the skill of the player.

To this end, a token issuing mechanism is provided, which is so constructed that each time it is actuated, a token will be issued to the player. Control means for this mechanism are arranged 1-34) at one or more pre -selected openings in the playing board, and the number of times the mechanism is actuated that is, the number of tokens that will be issued, will depend upon the particular opening into which the projectile passes; For example, if the projectile passes into an opening bearing the indicia 1000, the mechanism will operate one time and issue one token. Likewise, should the projectile pass into an opening bearing the indicia"2000, then two 4;.) tokens would be issued, and so on for the other openings. Thus it will be obvious that the player having the greater number of tokens at the end of a game, will have exercised greater skill and consequently will win the game.

As is well known in the art, it is possible for a player to move the playing board as by tilting or the like, and thereby influence the path of movement of the projectile after it has been initially shot or projected, with the result that the 11) projectile may pass into an opening which the player might otherwise have missed. In order to guard against such unauthorized movement of the playing board and provide a game which will more truly reflect the players skill, it is proposed to provide an auxiliary control'for-the token issuing'mechanism, which will, when the playing board is for any reason moved from its normal position, render the token issuing mechanism inoperative until another coin has been 5Y1) inserted or deposited.

- A further important object of the present. invention resides in the provision 'of an improved impact spring for the projectile, which is soarranged that the player may selectively attain a 55 relatively light, medium or"strong rebound depending upon the force with which the projectile is initially projected and consequently the force with which it impinges on the spring.

Other objects and features of this invention willmore fully appear-from the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings which illustrate a single embodiment thereof, and in which:

Figure l is a plan View of a game of the character described and embodying the features of the present invention;

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary plan view of the control switch for the token issuing mechanism, said switch being operable in response to tilting of the game apparatus;

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view of the same showing the operative relationship of its parts; taken substantially on line'III-III of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view through the apparatus showing the arrangement of the switches for the primary control of the token issuing mechanism; taken substantially on line IV-IV of Figure 1;

'Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view showing the details of the rebound spring for the projectiles, taken substantially on line V-V of Figure 1;

Figure 6 is a transverse sectional view through the game apparatus taken substantially on line VIVI of Figure 4;

Figure 7 is an end view showing details of the operatively associated parts of the token issuing mechanism a section being taken through the game apparatus substantially on line VII-VII of ,Figure 1;

Figure 8, is a plan view of the same;

Figure 9 is a transverse sectional view of the same, taken substantially on line IX-IX of Figure 8; I

Figure 10 is a longitudinal fragmentary section through thesame; taken substantially on line X-X of Figure 7; and

Figure 11 is a schematic wiring diagram diagrammatically illustrating the control of the token issuing mechanism.

As shown on the drawings:

Although the herein described invention has been illustrated in connection with a specific type of coin-controlled amusement device, name- 1y wherein a plurality of projectiles are shot or projected over a playing surface or board containing a plurality of indicia bearing openings which are guarded by upstanding pins or other means, it will be readily appreciated by those equal facility, be utilized with devices of this type embodying other and different playing instrumentalities.

Referring to Figure 1 it will be observed that the illustrated game apparatus embodying the present invention comprises a housing III which surrounds a playing surface ll having disposed thereover a plurality of openings which are guarded by pins 22. Some of these openings, it will be observed, such as opening l3, are provided with relatively small scoring indicia, for example 200, while other openings such as [4 have associated scoring indicia, such as 1000, 2000,

and etc. V

Along one side of the playing field there is disposed a channel l5 along which a projectile such as a ball 16 may be shot or projected by means of a plunger H having a spring [8 for actuating the same when the plunger is pulled back and released.

The ball is adapted to travel along the channel I5, around curved surface or wall I9 and impact a rebound spring, ,enerally indicated at 20, which causes the ball to pass over the playing field. Should the ball pass into one of the openings, the scoring indicia'for that play will be determined. On the other hand, if the ball does not pass into one of the openings, it will pass through an out opening in the playing field, as indicated at 2|, from whence it is conducted back to an elevator means having an actuating handle 22 by means of which the balls are elevated to projecting position in front'of the plunger l1.

At the beginning of a game, and before any balls can be elevated to projecting position, it is necessary for the player to insert a coin in the coin slide 23, which is interconnected with a sliding panel 24 disposed beneath the playing field and normally closing the "out opening as well as a part or all of the openings in the playing field, so that it serves as a gate to keep the balls from passing through the openings which are thereby obstructed, until a coin is inserted.

As is well known, it is possible for a player to move the playing board as by tilting or otherwise, and thereby influence the movement of the projectile after it has been initially shot or projected, with the result that the projectile may be forced into one of the openings in the playing field, which would otherwise be missed, whereby the player would attain a higher score than deserved. To discourage a player making such unauthorized movement of the apparatus, a device 25 is, provided which will indicate whether or not the table has been tilted and will also prevent the player from securing a winning score as will hereafter be explained more in detail.

The game of this invention is provided with an automatic token issuing mechanism, as shown in Figure '7, which is adapted to issue one or more tokens depending upon the skill of the player. Each time the projectile or ball passes into one of the openings in the face of the field having the large scoring indicia associated therewith, the token issuing mechanism is' actuated to issue a pre -determined number of tokens for that particular opening. That'is, if the ball should go' into the hole bearing the indicia 1000, the token issuing mechanism would issue one token. for the 2000 opening, the mechanism would be actuated two times and would issue a total of two tokens. In the present arrangeskilled in the art that this invention may, with.

ment of the token issuing mechanism, the parts are arranged to issue tokens in the form of tickets which are issued through a suitable opening 26 in anescutcheon plate 2'! which is secured for convenience of the player at the lower end of the casing or frame structure II], as shown in Figure 1.

More specifically, the token or ticket issuing mechanism comprises a shell like frame structure which serves as a support for the operative parts of the mechanism.

This frame is in the form of a right angled bracket having a leg 28 which is secured as by screws 29 on the inner face of the end wall of the housing 10. The other leg, indicated as 30, extends outwardly at right angles to the leg 28 and has a non-rotatable shaft 3| supported at right angles thereto. The shaft is provided with a contracted threaded portion 32 which defines an abutment shoulder 33 which is drawn against the inner surface of the leg 30 by means of a suitable nut 34.

Rotatably supported on the shaft 3| is a feed wheel 35 having a pair of spaced apart circumferentially extending ridges 36 and 31 on its outer surface. At equally spaced intervals along these ridges, aligned pins 38 are provided, these pins being adapted to extend into suitable openings 35 of aticket strip 40. wherebycrotation of the feed wheel will cause the ticket strip to be advanced.

The leg 36 of the frame structure is deflected to form an arcuate flange portion 4| which extends over that portion of the feed wheel which is in contact with the ticket strip so that the ticket strip will at all times be retained on the feed wheel. The inner surface of the guard flange is grooved as shown at 42 and 43 to provide channels for the passage of the pins 38.

As the ticket strip is carried onto the feed wheel it is guided over a'guide platform 44 which is also integrally formed with the leg 30.

On the exit side of the feed wheel, the escutcheon plate 21 is provided with an angularly disposed flange 45 which is toothed at its free edge so as to extend on each side of the ridges 36 and 31, whereby the ticket strip is stripped and guided from the feed wheel through the opening 26 of the escutcheon plate.

The feed wheel is arranged to be advanced a partial revolution each time the ticket issuing mechanism is operated. In this instance, the wheel is advanced a distance sufficient to cause one ticket to be issued through the opening 26 of the escutcheon plate each time the mechanism is operated.

For actuating the feed wheel, the wheel is pro- .vided at one side with a plurality of pins 46 which are spaced on a common circle a distance corresponding to the spacing between the holes 39 of the ticket strip. In other words, advancing the feed wheel the distance between two of the pins 46 would be just sufiicient to cause the issuance of one ticket.

In the normal or ticket issuing position of the 'feed wheel, the wheel is latched against both forward and reverse movements by means of latch members 4'! and 48 respectively which engage two adjacently disposed pins 46;

The latching arms or members 41 and 48 are pivotally mounted at one'end on a common pivot other end secured to an outwardly extending porspring 53 having one end anchored at 54 to the frame structure and its other end secured to a projecting portion 55 of the member 48.

The ends of the latching members are hook shaped so as to hook over the pins 46, and the latch member 48 is in addition provided with a tapered end portion 56 so that as the feed wheel is rotated and the pins come against the beveled end portion, the latch member 48 will 'be'raised and hooked over the pin, thereby preventing backward movement of the feed wheel.

For advancing the feed wheel, an advancing arm 51 is provided, this arm being pivotally mounted at one end for rotative movement on a contractedportion 58 of the shaft 3|. Projecting in the opposite direction from the pivot of the arm 51 is a short arm or lug 59 to which one end of a tension spring 60 is secured, the other end of this spring being suitably anchored as to the housing structure Ill.

The outer end of the advancing arm 51 is provided with a pivotal extension 6| which is pre vented from rotating in a clockwise direction past a position of alignment with the arm 51 by means of a stop pin at 62, but is free-to rotate in an anti-clockwise direction against the tensional force of a spring 63 having'one end secured to the pivotal -extension adjacent the stop pin and its other end secured to the arm 51.

It will be apparent that so long as the'latch members 41 and 48 are efiective to latch the feed wheel against both forward and reverse movements, it will be necessary to first release the latch member 41, in order to advance the feed wheel.

This is accomplished by providing an abutment projection 64 on the latch member 41, the abutment projection'64 being so disposed as to be engaged by the extension 6|, when the advancing arm 51 is rotated in a counter-clockwise direction. Engagement of the extension member with the projecting abutment portion 64* will raise the latch member 41 so that as the advancing arm is further moved to bring the extension 6| into engagement with the pin 46 that was engaged by the latch member 41, the feed wheel may be advanced. As soon as the pin and extension 6| have cleared the endof the latch member 41, the latch memberis' actuated to latching position by the spring 49', so that as the following pin 46 engages the member 41, the feed wheel will be latched against further movement and will have moved a suflicient distance to issue one ticket. This movement has brought another pin 46 into latching-position relative to the arm 48 so that the wheel is also latched against reverse movement.

The advancing arm 51 is then returned to normal position by means of spring '60. During this movement, it will be observed that the rearface of the extension 6| will strike against the outer end of the latch member 41 and will be deflectedin a counter-clockwise direction against the pressure of spring 63 so as to enable movement thereof past the end of the latching'me'mber 41.

For actuating the advancing arm 51 in a counter-clockwise direction, a solenoid is proarm '51.

Vlddy The solenoid. comprises. an energizing coil 65which is provided with a non-magnetic tubular core 66 which serves as a guide for a solenoid plunger 61. The upper end of the solenoid plunger 61is connected through a link 68 by a pivotal connection at 69 to the advancing When the coil 65 is energized, the plunger is moved to actuate the advancing arm in a counter-clockwise direction to advance the feed wheel as has been previously described. -Return of the advancing arm 51 to normal position by the spring 60 causes the plunger 61 to move out of the coil so that the end of the plunger will engagea stop pin 18 to prevent further movement of the plunger as well as limit the clockwise movement of the advancing arm 51.

I Since there are times. when the supply of electrical energy for energizing the coil 65 may be low; as where batteries are used as a source for the electrical energy, it will be appreciated that the advancing arm 51 may be advanced only a sufficient" distance to release the latch member 41 and move the associatedpins 46 only a slight distance, this distance not being quite sufficient to clear the end of latch member 41, whereupon a ticket will not be entirely ejected but will protrude sufficiently for the player to grasp the same with his fingers. In this position of the pin 46 associated with the latch member 41, there would be a possibility of the player pushing on'the ticket sufiiciently to cause the feed wheel to move in a reverse direction sufiiciently to re-latch the wheel by latch member 41, thus making it impossible for the player to secure the ticket which he was justly entitled to receive.

To prevent such a condition, a second latch point 1| is provided on latch member 48 so as to prevent a re-latching against forward movement of the wheel as just described, thereby enabling the player to pull the wheel to its next latched position and secure the ticket which he is entitled to.

Referring to Figure 4, a ball I6 is shown as just having passed into one of the openings 14, for example, an opening bearing the indicia 3000. Mounted on the underside of the playing board is a switch 12 having arms 13 and 14 of spring material and carrying a pair of cooperable contacts 15 which are adapted to engage when the arms 13 and 14 are moved'towards each other. longer than the other arm and extends under the'opening |4 so as to be engaged by the ball l6 and forced downwardly towards the arm 13, as the ball passes through the opening, thereby closing an electrical circuit through the arms.

The ball l6 will drop down into a trough 16 which is so inclined as to cause the ball to move therealong under the force of gravity. During -its travel, the ball engages additional switches 12 and 12" which are of the same construction as the switch 12. In this particular instance it will be observed that if the switches 12, 12 and 12" are connected in multiple in the energizing circuit of the actuating coil 65 of the ticket issuing mechanism, three impulses at spaced intervals will be transmitted to the coil 65. In

will be issued.

Referring'to Figure 3, the details of the switch mechanism to-prevent tilting or otherwise moving the game during play is shown. This switch The arm 14, as will be observed, is

comprises acup-shaped member 11 which is defiected centrally of its bottom to form a tubular portion 18 for reciprocably-receiving therein a plunger member). This plunger is normally held in raised. position by means of a cam member which is secured to andrmovable with the sliding panel 24 which in turn is actuated through the coin-controlled mechanism. The upper end of the plunger 19 is indented to seatingly receive a ball 8!, this ball normally retaining its seating position butbeing readily displaced. by any movement ,ortilting of the game apparatus. i

Upon the ball ,8! being displaced, it will assume a position in the bottom portion of the cup as shown in dotted lines in Figure 3. In its movement from seated position, the ball will engage a ring shaped member 82 which is supported on a flexible switch member 83 which is co-operatively associated with switch member 84, these members being provided with normally closed contacts 85. The contacts 85 areadapted, when the ball 8| engages the ring 82 tobe forced apart to break an electrical'circuit, by

virtue of movement of the ring member 82 to a position as shown in dotted lines;

a It will now be obvious that, the switch just described may be utilized to open the electrical circuit of the ticket issuing mechanism and by so doing will prevent-the issuance of a ticket to'the player until another coin is deposited-for a new game. i 1 I Operation of the coin mechanism, when a new coin is inserted, will move the sliding panel 24 to the right from its normal position as shown in Figure 3, in a manner well known in the art, and retraction of the coin slot will return the panel 24 to its normal position; This action of the sliding panel will cause the cam member 80 to be shifted to the right as shown in dotted lines in Figure 3 and enable the plunger 19 to drop down until its upper end is substantially flush with the bottom of the cup, whereupon the ball 8| may move under the force of gravity into seating position. When the sliding panel 24 is returned to normal position, the plunger 19 is raised and the switch contacts 85 will again be closed so that the ticket issuing mechanism may again operate to issue tickets during the game.

Referring to Figure 11, the electrical connection between the various switches and the operating coil 65 of the ticket issuing mechanism are schematically shown. The source of electrioal energy is shown as comprising a battery 81, although it is contemplated that any other desirable electrical source of energy may be utilized, for example, the house current. One side of this battery is connected directly to one terminal of the operating coil 65 by a conductor 88. This conductor has disposed therein a switch 86, which is the switch associated with the mechanism for indicating tilting of the apparatus during play, this switch having normally closed contacts. The other terminal of the actuating coil 65 is connected by a conductor 89 to the corresponding terminal of a plurality of switches in parallel, namely 12, 12 and 12", etc., the other terminals of these switches being connected together and thru a conductor 90- to-the other terminal of the battery.

With this arrangement, it willbe observed that with the contacts of switch 86 inclosed position, the respective closing of the contacts of switches 12, 12 and 12", etc. will successively close the electrical circuit on coil 65 to energize the same-each time one of these switches is closed, whereby each time the coil is energized, the

ticket issuing mechanism will operate to issue a ticket. Since the contacts of'switch 86 are 'in the direct circuit from one side of the battery -as by a screw -95.- The anchored ends of the spring strips are clamped together, whereas the free ends of the spring strips are in spaced relationship; With this arrangement, it will be apparent that if one of the balls iii impinges against the spring 92 with very light impact, the

spring strip 92 is the only one which is brought into play to cause rebound of the ball. On the other hand, if the impact is slightly greater, strip92 will be deflected against strip 93 and .bothstrips will together contribute to the rebound force exerted upon the ball i6. Moreover,+- if a sufficiently great impact of the ball IS with .the spring 92 i5 secured-then all three spring strips will be deflected With the result that still greater rebound of the ball It will be attained. -It will thus be evident that a skillful player may ;1

project the ball with sufficient force to selectively attain a light, medium or heavy rebound action of the spring. I

-F'romthe foregoing description, it will be api parent that the herein described invention provides novel means in game devices for issuing tokens; the number of tokens issued depending upon the skill of the player; novel means for preventing unauthorized movement of the apparatus during the playing of a game, whereby the score; of theplayer might be changed so that it would not indicate the players skill; and improved impact spring for the projectiles, wherein the player may selectively attain relatively light,

medium or strong rebounds of the projectile. depending upon the force with which the pro- -jectile or ball isinitially projected.-

Now, itis of course to be understood that 'although'wehave described in detail the pre ferred embodiment of our invention, the invendefined by the scope and spirit of the appended claims.

.. We claim as our invention:

1. In a game apparatus of the character described, means for issuing tokens in accordance with a players score, said means comprising a feed wheel adapted when advanced to feed a ticket strip, latch means normally opposing forward and reverse movements of the wheel, a movable arm; operable from a normal position to ad -vance the wheelto a ticket issuing position, the

latch means opposing forward movement of the wheel being released by the initial movement of said arm, thewheel-in ticket issuing position be-,

ing againlatched against further forward and reverse movements until said arm is again actuated in a wheel advancing direction, spring meansto returnv the arm to its normal position, power means-operable to move the arm in a wheel tion is not to be thus limited, but only insofar as' advancing direction, and auxiliary means latching the wheel against reverse movement to normal position, once the wheel has started its ad vancing movement toward a ticket issuing position.

2. In an apparatus of the character described, amechanism for issuing a single token each time it is operated, said mechanism comprising a feed wheel adapted to deliver a single token each time it is advanced, a plurality of circumferentially spaced and laterally projecting pins carried by said wheel, a pair of spring actuated latching pawls for respectively engaging adjacently disposed pins at the completion of each advancin movement of the wheel, whereby forward and reverse movements thereof are prevented, and means for releasing the forward latching pawl and actuating said wheel through one advancing movement each time said means is energized.

3. In an apparatus of the character described,

a mechanism for issuing a single token each time it is operated, said mechanism comprising a feed wheel arranged to deliver a token each time it is advanced, a plurality of laterally projecting pins on said wheel, said pins being circumferentially spaced to correspond to the amount of movement of the wheel during each advancement, a first spring pressed latch normally engaging one of said pins to prevent advancement of the wheel,

a second spring pressed latch normally engaging another of said pins to prevent reverse movement of the wheel but enable forward movement thereof, and a pivoted lever operable to disengage the first latch, engage the pin associated therewith and move the wheel until the following pin is engaged by said first latch.

4. In an apparatus of the character described, a mechanism for issuing a single token each time it is operated, said mechanism comprising a feed wheel arranged to deliver a token each time it is advanced, a plurality of laterally projecting pins on said wheel, said pins being circumferentially spaced to correspond to the amount of 7 movement of the wheel during each advancement, a first latch normally engaging a pin to prevent advancement of the wheel, a second latch normally engaging the following pin to prevent reverse movement of the wheel but enable forward movement thereof, means associated with the second latch for preventing reverse movement of the Wheel when it is slightly advanced relative to the first latch, whereby the wheel is free to advance until the pin at the second latch is engaged by the first latch, and an actuating arm for releasing the first latch and moving the wheel to its next latched position.

5. In an apparatus of the character described, a mechanism for issuing a single token each time it is operated, said mechanism comprising a feed wheel arranged to deliver a token each time it is advanced, a plurality of laterally projecting pins on said wheel, said pins being circumferentially spaced to correspond to the amount of movement of the wheel during each advancement, a first latch normally engaging a pin to prevent advancement of the wheel, a second latch normally engaging the following pin to prevent reverse movement of the wheel but enable forward movement thereof, means associated with wheel axis.

6. In an apparatus of the character described,

a mechanism for issuing a single token each time it is operated, said mechanism comprising a feed wheel arranged to deliver a token each time it is advanced, a plurality of'laterally projecting pins on said wheel, said pins being circumferentially spaced to correspond to the amount of movement of the wheel during each advancement, a first latch normally engaging a pin to prevent advancement of the wheel, a second latch normally engaging the following pin to prevent reverse movement of the wheel but enable forward movement thereof, means associated with the second latch for preventing reverse movement of the wheel when it is slightly advanced relative to the first latch, whereby the Wheel is free to advance until the pin at the second latch is engaged by the first latch, an actuating arm for releasing the first latch and moving the wheel toits next latched position, said arm being pivoted for rotative movement about the wheel axis, and a swingable section at the end of said. arm mounted for limited movement in one direction from a position of axial alignment with the arm, but restrained against movement in the opposite direction therefrom.

HARRY B. STONER. KARL KNICKERBOCKER. 

